[Tour Review] C.C. Koen : Unlikely Allies

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Area Info

English \ eBook, ~500 pages
Debut: June 13, 2015
@: Goodreads

Read: July 6-8, 2015

What happens when a single mom’s four-year-old daughter falls in love with Mr. Right and she doesn’t?
Maggie Tyson’s rule: no bad boys. Her incarcerated ex-husband broke her of that attraction. Needing to escape his threats and the scrutiny of the people in her hometown, Maggie relocates to New York City. Determined to not make the same mistakes, she has a mile-long list of dos and don’ts. Unfortunately, her daughter, Cecily, doesn’t like to follow them. When Cecily wanders away from her and right into Rick Stone’s office, Maggie knows he’s the exact type she’s been trying to avoid. Can she resist him or will she succumb to his willful charm?
Rick Stone’s rule: bed them don’t wed them. Running a multi-billion dollar business doesn’t leave him with much time to do anything else, particularly with an overbearing grandfather breathing down his neck. But when a man works hard, he needs to play even harder. Voted America’s most eligible bachelor, Rick doesn’t have any problems getting women into his bed—except one.
Two auburn beauties stumble into his life.
One will break his heart.
The other—heal it.
Will he love or leave them?

Rogue Chronicles Entry

I'm having a real hard time with this review. I generally liked the book, both plot and characters, although it wasn't anything original, or all that breathtaking. It wasn't good enough to rave and recommend, and I think it could easily be considered lame by people who read this genre a lot, but it didn't turn me off, either.

Neither Rick nor Maggie were making me swoon, and I just hated Cece's baby talk. I know most pople think it's adorable, but it irks me. I think her character could've done without it, and that she was cute and amazing due to her actions and what she said, even though how she said it annoyed me. Maggie was getting on my nerves with her contradicting thoughts and actions, pushing Rick away and being all cautious around him for no reason, acting tough being mama bear, yet spoiling Cece senseless, crying at the slightest show of kindess towards her, and simply putting her head in the sand when it came to her ex. Seriously, I thought she was plain stupid, because she always refused help, although she knows there are good people out there who just want to help for the heck of it -- like herself, for example. I felt like she was just being a stubborn little shit, control-freakish at points, but didn't have the temper to back it up, and was more of a crybaby, really.

Rick was better, although he wasn't what I expected, since he turned out not to be a bad boy at all. His sexual preferences, being on the harsh side, were as much a stress relief as his drinking (only over the top once, and totally justified in my opinion) and him brawling with Matt, but neither a compulsion nor a life style choice. Thus, they don't have anything to do with his character, because he was a real family guy first to last page. I liked his polite grumbling against people who went on his nerves -- it just showed me how patient he is. No short temper for him, which just made him all the more perfect to be a dad/uncle, and a CEO. He wasn't pushy, he knew how to compromise, how to say sweet things without being embarressed, yet he was definitively on the alpha male scale. What an amazing guy. Yes, I can do fine without any bad-boy-excitement!

I liked all the other characters, especially the grumpy grandpa, and Matt. From the start, I loved how Rick was pulled in by Cece, I just loved the idea of them bonding and thus ganging up on Maggie, yet felt there was no real conspiracy to pull mama bear into her camp, that part fell short. On the other hand, Maggie fell from lust to love with Rick too fast. She only saw how he was being nice to her kid, and because he's hot, she's in love with him? Not. I missed the respect stage from her side, which generally gets skipped over way too often. I think the story could've even done without the psycho ex making an appearance. Not all thieves / convicts are psychos. What's so bad about sticking close to normal? His hassling, or even if he was easier intimitated - basically normal - would've been enough conflict, since there were also all the other people giving them a hard time throughout.

Stylewise, it was a lengthy read. There were some really unncessary scenes in there with Rick and Cece, or with the three women -- full points for cuteness, but not needed because we got the message in small dosages just fine, thank you. The sexier heart-throb moments weren't to my liking, either, and few and far between. However, I absolutely LOVED that last glimpse into the future, the wedding vows and Cece's first date. Couldn't the whole book have been that way?

Area Scan: Idea: 5/5 -- Style/Vocab: 2/5 -- Plot: 3/5 -- Heroine: 1/5 -- Hero: 5/5 -- Hearts: 3.5/5 -- Tears: 3/5 -- Heat: 2/5 -- Thrills: 2/5

Discovered: 3 Hoods

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About the Author

C.C. Koen writes contemporary romance with a twist. An avid reader who enjoys mystery and suspense, her stories will never be what you expect. Determined to find adventure in her dreams and life, she enjoys skydiving, sailing and any activity that challenges her. Teacher by day, romance writer at night produce an active imagination that comes to life in her writing.

C.C. Koen on Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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